Inspired to Restart Daily Dispatch Experiment

I struggle with making time for regular reading and my Working Out Loud (WOL) posts, despite being fully aware of the value of both. In regard to the WOL posts on this page of my website, I am very conscious that this is a public record and I have a mental image of the standard that they should be written to. In my mind I have lots of ideas about things to post about and what to say – so clear that I sometimes feel like I have written and posted them. In my head I am more prolific with Working Out Loud than is actually the case. So, my mindset is getting in my way of more actively Working Out Loud.

Today is Saturday. I’ve been very busy over the past month clearing out my possessions and handling other logistics in preparation for a period of extended travel. It’s been a greater challenge than usual to make time for reading. Today I have started my morning by sitting on the lounge for two hours writing in my journal and reading. I feel a sense of space opening around me as I simply sit, read, write and think. Space like this is important for many reasons – including being more creative and for overall well-being.

Austin Kleon – my muse

One of the things I’ve read is Austin Kleon‘s wonderful weekly newsletter. He is a champion and role model for Working Out Loud, and one of my sources of creative inspiration. I love his visual style and the flow of ideas in his blog posts. He is very consistent with the frequency of his posts, following his own recommendation for a daily dispatch.

I posted back in July 2017 that I was going to try a daily dispatch experiment on my WOL page. It was intended to last five weeks, by which time I was hoping to have made it a habit. I didn’t last. I didn’t make it a priority and find a little time to post daily. I was also too ambitious and set my standards too high for each post. I’m going to restart the experiment. To make it achievable I’m setting a 15 minute limit on how long it takes me to write each post, and I’m not going to worry too much about finessing it.